OPSEU Diablogue

CORNWALL — Jeanette Despatie needs to stop hiding behind the Eastern Ontario Regional Lab Association and answer the community’s questions about the transfer of medical laboratory tests to Ottawa.

Despatie, the CEO of the Cornwall Community Hospital, was originally expected to appear before Cornwall’s City Council tonight to explain how the transfer in service reflects an improvement to local residents. The city donated $12 million towards the hospital’s redevelopment project under the understanding that services would improve. Despatie has refused to show up to answer questions from Cornwall’s elected representatives.

It begs the question: what has she got to hide?
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Tim Hudak’s promise to cut 100,000 jobs in the public sector is worrying even fellow Conservatives.

In today’s National Post, right-wing columnist Tasha Kheiriddin says she can’t vote for Hudak because his education cuts would threaten kids with special needs, including her own four-year old daughter. “One in 68 kids is now autistic,” writes Kheiriddin. “We need more support workers and early childhood educators, not just for the kids who have difficulties, but to make sure they don’t draw all the teachers’ attention away from the kids who don’t.”

Newstalk 1010 is known for its over-the-top Conservative vitriol, but today Dave Agar started to do the math on what a cut of 100,000 public sector jobs would mean. “That’s a hundred thousand fewer people spending at the grocery store and the Canadian Tire and the Home Depot, at your favorite restaurant or bar or movie theatre,” Agar said, noting a Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report that indicates 50,000 private sector jobs would also get side-swiped by such a public sector cut. Asking what would we get, Agar says “the only thing that seems certain is the province’s books would be balanced one year earlier than the Wynne government plan.”

The Globe and Mail, no fan of progressive politics either, said in its May 12 editorial the 100,000 job cut plan “looks ill-considered and excessive.” They note “at current deficit levels, the province’s debt-to-GDP ratio is barely rising,” highlighting the fact that Ontario remains one of the lowest spending provincial governments. By the time you calculate public sector jobs beyond Hudak’s reach (municipal, federal) and those he has vowed not to touch (doctors, nurses and OPP) that leaves 650,000 public sector workers at risk, most, the Globe warns, of whom work in education, health and social services. That would amount to a cut of about one in six jobs.

Kathleen Wynne certainly has someone on staff who is working overtime coming up with bon mots for the Premier. The media reported Wynne’s comments on Tuesday about PC Leader Tim Hudak’s plan to slash 100,000 public sector jobs. She said “no one since Donald Trump has been as eager as Tim Hudak to say the words ‘you’re fired.’” The Premier likely senses that the extreme pledge to cut jobs – more than double Mike Harris’ public sector roadkill – is unpopular and likely to be a wedge issue. Last Friday she succinctly suggested that Hudak was converting “paycheques into pink slips.” We’ve noticed that our friends at CUPE also thought that summary phrase a good one and are urging their members to stop Tim Hudak’s “pink slip pledge.” Has anyone calculated just what the severance alone will be, much less the cost of recruitment when we truly find out how many really were essential?

Just prior to the Sousa budget, Kathleen Wynne had announced that the province’s lowest waged personal support workers (PSWs) were going to get a retroactive raise. The minimum wage for PSWs has been stuck at $12.50 per hour since 2006. The government said it would raise that amount by $1.50 retroactive to April 1st. The Personal Support Network of Ontario issued a bulletin this week saying they have been leaving messages with the Health Minister’s office to clarify the status of the raise. The PSNO said they spoke with a political staffer and expressed their disappointment, saying this “was a serious letdown to the sector and to the workforce.” In reporting on the original  announcement, the Globe and Mail said given the first $1.50 raise is retroactive, “it would take effect even if the budget falls, forcing a snap election.” That raise is expected to cost the government $50 million this budget year.

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Dr. Danielle Martin is interviewed on stage during the Ramsay Talks series at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

If we did a good enough job with it, Ontario could spread Pharmacare to the rest of Canada says Dr. Danielle Martin.

Asked what one issue she would like to see in the present provincial election, Martin never even hesitated. Unlike other initiatives that are national in scope, Ontario is big enough on its own to negotiate better drug prices and implement a universal drug plan.

Speaking at Ramsay Talks last night in Toronto, Martin said Pharmacare could begin with “20 drugs to save a nation.”

She says we could pick out 20 generics that are proven to help Canadians manage chronic disease. In Ontario the savings would be so great that the province could theoretically pick up the tab for the rest of the country and still reduce expenditures.

“Let’s focus on the ones that have the biggest bang for the buck,” she said.

That claim alone should be enough for any politician on the hustings to stand up and take note.

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“Knock knock.

Who’s there?

Tim.

Tim? Who’s dat?

No – it’s Tim Hu-dak.”

The candidates are knocking on your door. All candidate meetings are being organized in each riding. Are you ready?

Here are some questions you might want to put somewhere near the door, or perhaps take with you to a local forum. Please add your own suggestions in the comment field below.

Hospitals

Before the 2011 general election the Auditor General of Ontario said that with planned funding increases of 3.3 per cent provincial hospitals would have to find $1 billion in savings or “they will likely run deficits or may have little alternative but to cut services.” Since 2011 we actually witnessed base hospital funding constrained even further to 1.5 per cent, then zeros for two years after that. The spring budget would have extended the freeze on base hospital funding another year. The auditor’s warnings have come true – cuts to staff and services have been taking place across the province. What would your party do to stem the tide of hospital cuts?

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